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Saturday, February 19, 2011

ATLANTApix: Miss Freedom

Miss Freedom (Georgia State Capitol)

Miss Freedom, also known as The Lady of the House, has "stood watch over the Georgia Capitol for more than a century, her sword ready to fight for justice and equality, her torch raised to light the way toward truth..."

Miss Freedom has kept her perch on the gilded gold dome of the Capitol Building (save one relatively recent restoration period) since its dedication on July 4, 1889.

The Capitol that Miss Freedom stands over so majestically is called "A Symbol of the New South," a testament that Georgia had indeed embraced the new government following the U.S. Civil War. The Capitol Building is also known as "The People's House" for its open format and availability for public use.

Free tours of the Georgia State Capitol are available to the public Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., except for holidays.

During that tour, you'll see a model of Miss Freedom (photo) and learn that she is a statuesque 22.5 feet tall and weighs a healthy 1,250 pounds. Although she appears to be a solid bronze statue, the figure is made from thin copper plates.

During the renovation, Miss Freedom was lifted from the dome of the Capitol Building by helicopter (imagine seeing that during your commute to work) and trucked to Canada to revive her stately splendor.

ATLANTApix of the tourATLANTA blog features a "photo-of-the-day" of Atlanta. Come back tomorrow for a new one!